


Hero

by katillac25



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: AU, F/M, Knight!Rumple, Rumbelle Christmas in July 2015
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-25
Updated: 2015-07-25
Packaged: 2018-04-11 03:35:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4419617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katillac25/pseuds/katillac25
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rumplestiltskin, The Light One, is invited to play guest to the king of Avonlea.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hero

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MidStorm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidStorm/gifts).



> This is my gift for the amazing MidStorm! Her prompt was: knight!Rumple day in the life

The Light One, a hero to all and savior of the people. Rumplestiltskin had never intended to become famous. The first time he had saved a life, word of his heroic effort spread through the kingdoms like wildfire. As overwhelming as it had become, he handled his fame with as much humility and dignity as was humanly possible. He preferred to live a simple life void of praise and adoration, but at least he felt like the hero Baelfire once saw him as. If he was to continue this life as a hero, it would be in honor of his boy. Through each and every triumph he would keep his son in his heart. He would make his Bae proud. And his next adventure was soon to begin in a kingdom known as Avonlea.

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Rumple gazed at the towering castle of Avonlea. It was nothing short of breathtaking. Though he had been hesitant at first, he eventually accepted the invitation to play guest to the king after much insistence. He would only be staying for a few days at best before he would be continuing his journey. It wouldn’t hurt to be a guest, though he considered himself more of an inconvenience than anything. It was only for a short time, and then he would be on his way.

As he approached the castle gates, he noticed a most disgruntled man leaving the castle. Rumple kept moving forward until the man stopped and glared at him.

“Good luck with that one, old man. That obnoxious prude will eat you alive!”

The man continued on his way leaving Rumple absolutely perplexed.

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“Ah, there is my most valued guest!” the king roared.

Rumple winced instantly. This was definitely one of his worst decisions. He bowed before the king and as he rose, a young woman caught his eye. She was a true beauty in every sense of the word. Her long locks of brown hair and bright blue eyes were mesmerizing. He almost realized too late that he had been staring at her for entirely too long. He directed his attention back to the king the moment she raised an eyebrow at him.

“Ah yes. Belle, come and meet our guest. This is Rumplestiltskin, The Light One. He will be staying in our home before he resumes his journey. We have a true hero in our midst, isn’t that exciting?”

Rumple blanched at the king’s attempt to praise him. The woman, however, simply rolled her eyes at her father’s words. He couldn’t help but smile at her response. He was in complete agreement with her.

“This is my daughter, Belle. I’m sure she would be more than delighted to show you where you will be staying.”

Belle huffed as she approached Rumple. She certainly had a way of carrying herself. He felt himself jump back ever so slightly as she neared him. She seemed perfectly fearless. It was truly remarkable.

“We thank you ever so much for staying as our honored guest. If you should need anything, please let us know immediately. I will take you to your chambers now, sir.”

Rumple followed her out of the throne room and into a hallway with many rooms. They stopped at the very end of the hall where she led him into a large, immaculate room. As he turned to thank her, she quickly stepped in front of him with a fire in her eyes.

“I’m going to make this quite clear for you, Light One. I do put on a good face for my father, but don’t you dare even begin to think for a moment that I will be attending to your every need. We have servants who are paid well to tend to guests. Stay out of my way, and keep your hands to yourself. I’ve been subjected to a good deal of your kind, men who claim to be heroes and are praised by all. I am to be treated with respect and dignity. If you can’t comply with these stipulations, then you can show yourself out. Are we clear?”

Rumple’s mouth felt like the driest desert. She had such confidence and spirit. It was so breath-taking to watch her move and speak. It felt almost impossible to think of an intelligible answer to give her. He finally managed a shaky nod and a nervous smile. 

Belle was completely bewildered by his compliant response. She had expected anger or argument, but instead she was struck by obedience.

“Is that it, then? You’ve no complaints, no retorts? Nothing at all?”

He slowly shook his head nervously. Did she really expect him to bite back? He collected his muddled thoughts and finally found the courage to speak.

“Your requests are perfectly acceptable, and there isn’t a single stipulation I can’t follow. I give you my word that I shall not annoy or inconvenience you, Your Highness.”

For the first time in her life, Belle was truly speechless. She had certainly not expected this. He could possibly be a gentleman, though she wasn’t going to hold her breath. He would show his true colors sooner or later just like every other hero. She gave him a stern nod and walked away, leaving him utterly and truly awestruck. Never had he met a woman with such fire and tenacity. This woman was sure to be the death of him.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````  
As he settled in for the night, Rumple walked onto the balcony and gazed down upon the land. It was a beautiful kingdom, vast and full of life. He thought for a moment about the possibility of a life within these walls. Life may be easier here, but his need for seclusion would get in the way. There were far too many people, too much noise. There could be no upside to living in this place.

Rumple glanced up, and suddenly noticed another balcony far from his where the princess stood staring at him. How long had she been watching him? He gave a shy wave, and she immediately headed back inside her chambers. Rumple began to wonder why she was determined to avoid him at all costs. Although, he would be a hypocrite if he denied the fact that he avoided generally anyone like the plague. What could’ve made her so bitter? Perhaps, in time, he would understand the reason behind her hostility.

`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````  
Rumple groaned as the first light of morning stung his eyes. This was only the beginning of his first day in Avonlea. He only hoped that the king wasn’t planning on showing him off to the kingdom like a prized pony. Perhaps he could slip off into the woods for a morning ride or conceal himself inside the castle library. Either sounded better than being glorified by strangers. Though his current inconvenience was throbbing between his legs.

He tried so hard to think of anything to make it go away, but somehow her face was all he could see. Her ferocity and spirit made him breathless, and he was quickly losing the battle with his urges. His hand slipped down his abdomen and squeezed himself gently through the thin fabric of his trousers to relieve some of the pressure. He grunted softly as his hand continued squeezing, and he began bucking into his hand.

The sound of the door bursting open sent him reeling into such a state of panic that he slammed his head into the headboard in a failed attempt to sit up. Rumple grumbled and lightly rubbed the the new bump on his head as the princess entered the room.

“I do hope purposefully injuring yourself isn’t part of your repertoire for gaining attention,” Belle sneered.

“It was certainly not intentional, Your Highness. I wasn’t expecting anyone to come into my room.”

“My father has a rather big day planned for you. There will be plenty of townsfolk eager to kiss the ground you walk on, but I’m sure that’s no surprise to you. Everyone is in the throne room and are awaiting your presence. I will be in the library and am not to be disturbed. Is that understood?”

There it was again. That fire radiating from her made his blood rush so quickly throughout his body.

“Yes, Your Highness. I will not disrupt you,” he said giving a faint smile.

Belle eyed him intensely. He still wasn’t breaking his form. This one was going to be harder to break. She nodded and hurried out of the room, closing the door behind her and leaving him with an even bigger inconvenience than he previously had. This day was sure to be torture.

````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````  
“Ah, our esteemed guest! Please join us. We have much of the kingdom to show to you, and our fair citizens will be eager to greet you.”

Rumple cringed. As much as he appreciated the king’s invitation, he would rather walk through hot coals than be announced to the public. He frantically tried to come up with any excuse that would seem valid. There had to be something he could propose. But when his last idea came into his head, he felt an immense sense of guilt wash over him. The was possibly his worst idea ever. 

“If I may, Your Highness, I would rather like to be escorted by the princess. I feel she knows the kingdom and its people well, and I find her to be enthralling company.”

He could feel the instant regret as the words left his lips. There was no denying it, she was going to have him murdered for this.

“But of course! Can’t say I’ve ever heard someone describe her as enthralling company. She keeps to herself more than she should. I will have her sent for. She’s off in the library, as she usually is. Always has her nose stuck in a book,” the king laughed.

Rumple could hear the loud clicking of heels making their way down the hall and prepared himself for the worst.

“So, our guest would like a tour of our kingdom specifically with me as his guide? This is quite an honor indeed. Please, sir, let us begin,” she said in a chipper tone.

Though she may have fooled everyone present, Rumple could see that fire burning in her eyes. If looks could kill, he would’ve been dead the moment she laid eyes on him. He followed her down the hall waiting for her to strike, but she was surprisingly calm. As they finally exited the castle, she slowly turned to face him. At that very moment, he couldn’t hold back.

“Your Highness, I am ashamed of myself for breaking my word to you, but I simply could not have your father making a spectacle of me. That is honestly the last thing I want. I may be accustomed to slaying monsters and apprehending villains, but I cannot accept glorification from anyone. I’ve never been able to stomach it. I would much rather be humiliated by you any day than have to face everyone praising me as a god. I am only a man who desires good conversation and journeying to distant lands. I am not familiar with palace life nor would I prefer it. I am genuinely regretful for dragging you away from the contentment of your books, but I truly do savor every moment spent near you. Your assurance and determination are most admirable, and I would much rather spend an afternoon with you than a brigade of worshippers. It is a selfish decision, I know, but I do hope someday you may forgive me.”

Every possible thought flowed from his mouth. Never in his life had he felt like such a fool. He didn’t expect to be treated with mercy, but he couldn’t keep it in any longer.

Belle stared struggling for the first time in her life to find a response. She had been trying so hard to run him off like the others, and she thought it had been merely persistence keeping him here. Never had she imagined that he enjoyed her company or could possibly admire the venomous behavior towards him. She nudged her head towards the castle stables, hinting for him to follow. His nerves were on edge as he followed her. As she opened the door and ushered him in, Rumple turned breathing heavily.

“Why are you doing this? You’re a hero. You should be a pompous, brainless lecher! Why can’t you be like the others and just leave me in peace?”

The anger and fear rolled off her in waves. Her body trembled uncontrollably. Rumple wanted nothing more than to hold her, to comfort her. Her encounters with the so-called heroes had damaged her tremendously.

“I am not a hero. I may live my life to save others, but it is not for the reasons you think. I-” Rumple paused, fighting the urge to close himself off from her. 

No one had ever known the true reason behind his life of heroism, and he had always kept that reason from the world. But he wanted to tell her. She deserved to know the truth.

“I lost my boy.” He could feel the tears trying to escape him.

“He died saving me. If anyone truly deserved the title of hero, my son did. The day he died, I made a vow to try and be the hero he would’ve wanted me to be. I will never know if I have lived up to being that hero, but I’ve been trying my best to honor his name in the best way that I can. I am truly sorry that you have been hurt in the past by those who would disgrace the title of hero, but I am not like them. The last thing I would want is to take advantage of you. You deserve so much more than what you’ve been given. You deserved to be worshipped, to be revered. You are beautiful, astute, headstrong, and passionate. A man must be truly blind if cannot see the goddess that you are.”

Tears were streaming down her face. She had been so blinded by her rage that she could not see the true beauty within this man. He was a selfless warrior who only fought in the name of someone he’d loved and lost. She’d spent so much time being bombarded by one idiot after the next only to realize that she couldn’t recognize a good man.

“W-why didn’t you tell me?” she whimpered.

“Because the moment you first spoke to me, I was too scared to say a word of anything. I didn’t want to possibly upset or bother you. I only wanted to be in your presence and to hear you speak. From the moment you began, I was done for. I just couldn’t find the words.”

Belle moved slowly towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck, gripping him tightly. He couldn’t stop himself from holding her close, and he never wanted to let her go. This is what she needed. She desperately needed to feel a loving embrace, to know that she was safe. Rumple gasped as he felt her lips upon his neck, and he buried his face into her shoulder. He felt her hands lift his face up to meet her gaze.

“I know that I am undeserving, but would you allow me to love you?”

Belle beamed as she heard the small whimper that escaped him.

“I take it that’s an approval. Come with me,” she said taking him by the hand.

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Rumple marveled at the wonder that was Belle’s chambers. It had almost as many books as a proper library would.

“I can see that you’re quite impressed with my collection,” she giggled.

“It is truly a sight to behold, Your Highness.”

Belle grabbed his hand, leading him to her bed and slowly began undoing the ties of his tunic.

“Belle. Please, call me Belle,” she whispered.

Rumple nodded, feeling his mouth dry once again. She had the most profound way of rendering him speechless. She pulled the tunic over his head and gazed at the flesh underneath. His breath hitched as she ran her palm up and down his chest. The other hand worked at the ties of his trousers.

“Will you allow me to take you, sir?” she breathed into his ear.

There it was again. Nothing intelligible was going to come out of his mouth. He nodded dumbly and sighed gratefully as she tugged down his trousers. Belle placed her hands on his shoulders and guided him to lay on the bed. Rumple gazed longingly as she gradually peeled off each layer of clothing. He felt all of the oxygen leave his body the instant her naked body was revealed to him.

“Please, Belle. Let me please you,” he said breathlessly.

Belle raised an eyebrow at him and grinned widely.

“If you insist.”

She carefully climbed onto the bed and sat astride on his chest. Rumple pushed her further up his body and hooked his arms around her thighs. She glanced down nervously at him.

“I only know what my books have displayed for me. I’ve never given a man the chance to show me. Please be gentle with me.”

“None of them were worthy enough to show you, Belle, and neither am I. But I am eternally grateful and honored that you’ve chosen me. I will be as gentle as possible.”

Belle gasped loudly at the first lap of his tongue against her. Her hands ran through his hair, making him moan into her. Her hips bucked each time his tongue swiped, and she gripped his hair in between her fingers. As his tongue circled her slowly, she could feel the tension in her body rising higher and higher. The feeling was almost too intense to take.

“Oh gods, please! I c-can’t! Please!”

Rumple swirled his tongue frantically, and she screamed. Her body shook uncontrollably, and he quickly moved up to wrap his arms around her.

“Easy, love. I’ve got you,” he whispered.

As she finally came down from the high, Belle crashed her lips against his. Rumple moaned into her mouth as her tongue slipped between his lips. He groaned softly as she slipped a hand down between them to wrap around him. The other hand pushed him back onto the bed. Her lips left his, and she positioned herself above him.

“Be easy at first, love. There is a bit of pain involved, but it will subside.”

Belle nodded nervously and slowly lowered herself onto him. She hissed at the slight discomfort but continued until he was buried deep inside her. Rumple whimpered as the heat of being inside her consumed him. She grinned wickedly at his reaction and dared to slide him in and out. He fisted the sheets moaning until his knuckles were white. She continued, slowly picking up speed. Never once did she take her eyes off him. His throaty groans and needy moans were the most beautiful sounds. As she became familiar with the sensations, she leaned down to whisper in his ear.

“Take me.”

Rumple threw them both forward, and he relished the feeling of her legs wrapping around his waist. He thrusted slowly at first, marveling at her soft gasps. As he leaned down, their lips met again. He thrusted harder as her tongue traced his lips, spurring him on. Her back arched, and she gasped breathlessly. There was no holding back as she clenched around him. Rumple thrusted frantically and released a strangled cry as he came. They both lay still breathing heavily and feeling utterly exhausted.

He turned to stare at her warmly, enjoying the look of completion on her face. Belle glanced up to see him smiling with such an adoration. He truly wanted nothing more than to bring her happiness. She laid her head against his chest and sighed happily. For the first time in her life, she felt safe in the arms of a man. This is where they both wished to stay until the end of time.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope it is an acceptable gift. I was a bit rushed, and I'm sure it shows.


End file.
